The Ghost of Us
by Jo3
Summary: “ I ask for permission to return as my mortal self,Serena requested, eyes filled with revenge. “ Granted, my Queen of the Dark Moon,”Sapphire said. CH.3 IS WRITEN BY LADY STAR, my co-author. ^^
1. Part One

Ghost of Us 

Ghost of Us 

Sometimes mistakes can't be forgiven. Sometimes what you do means more than what you are. And sometimes sometimes comes too often.

" Serena you can't. You just can't do this anymore!" Lita cried, tears in her eyes. 

" What?" Serena whispered, eyes wide and hands shaking. 

" You heard her. Give it to me." Raye ordered. Triumph was in her eyes, power stood her tall, and revenge was in her heart. " I win. This time I win." She thought. 

" You can't mean…" Serena faded off. 

" We do." Amy added in her own opinion. " It's for the sake of the rest of us. For the safety of this town." She consoled herself. 

" Serena…maybe it's time to give up. Even the best leaders retire at sometime." Mina said softly. Tears streamed down her cheek, while she cradled her broken arm. 

" Rini?" Serena whispered, feeling a small hand on her arm. She was startled at finding victory and menace in the blood red eyes. 

" You never deserved to be Sailor Moon. You never deserved the position of the leader. And you never deserved Darien." Rini finished triumphantly. She lifted her hand from Serena's arm and leaned into Darien's arms. 

" Darien?" Serena whispered, trivial hope in her eyes. 

Darien looked up at the sky then straight at the watering azure eyes. " You've never been a great fighter and a hopeless leader. You have little talents, little manners. Sometimes it's a wonder we put up with you. It's a wonder how you haven't killed us all with your careless mistakes. I mean look at what you did to Mina!" he stared back at the sky, eyes as dark as a moonless night. 

Serena looked at Mina. Her friend was tattered and torn. Her bloody broken arm was cradled in the other badly battered one. Serena's eyes circled the group glancing off each unfriendly face. Scrapes here, burns there, but always the dark distant eyes. 

" Fine." Serena yanked her brooch off of its place amidst the red ribbons. Instantly cold wind engulfed her and Serena was dressed in her jeans and tank. She stared at the sparkling pale crimson trinket in her hand. She looked up when a slender hand came in view. Raye had held her hand out, eyes greedy and a slight touch of happiness on her lips. Serena shed a small glittering tear and as it landed on the brooch, she placed it on the palm of Raye's hand. 

" Moon Crystal Power." Raye cried as soon as she felt the coldness of the brooch in her hand. 

Serena turned away as Raye was swallowed up in red ribbons. 

" So who's going to be Sailor Mars now?" Lita muttered. 

" Me!" Rini cried jumping up and down. 

Only Mina and Luna saw the petite form slowly walk away beneath the dark towering trees. 

" No one cares. No one is concerned. No one will bother with the klutzy former hero." Serena said listlessly as she walked among the shadowy trees. " Hah. What hero?" she scoffed. What the scouts had said had finally sunk in. " Why be in denial? It's true. Right on the dot." She thought out loud. It seemed logical. 

" Denial is not only a river in Egypt. (de-Nile! Get it?)" a voice sang above in the trees. 

" What?" Serena gasped, with her head up trying to peer into the darkness. She finally located a dim figure blocking the little moonlight from the tree openings. 

The man hopped gracefully down from the trees. As he neared Serena, she could see a dark hair…an ivory complexion…board shoulders…firm stomach…and as he stood half a foot away from her she gasped. Moonlight had streaked across his face. His face so familiar. So much like… " Darien." Serena whispered. The man stared straight back into her eyes. His eyes were a deep blue and held…evil. 

" Not Darien." He replied softly. He brought a strong hand to stroke her cheek. His warm hands made her gasp as it came in contact with her freezing cheek.

" But how…" Serena murmured, holding onto the hand, staring at the lines running across its palm. The hand closed around Serena's pale white one. 

" Just because I'm on the dark side doesn't mean I can't be warm. Or love someone." He added. 

Serena stared up at the eyes. She saw flickers of warmth, gentleness, and even a touch of love in the cobalt eyes. " Sapphire." She whispered the barriers broke. Tears streamed down her bitter cheeks, bringing a pale pink flush across it. Strong arms wrapped themselves around her, trying to impede her heaving sobs and shaking body. " It'll be alright. You'll see. I'm here. Here forever with you." He whispered into her ear. 

" They kicked you out?" Sapphire growled hands clenched in anger. 

" Yeah." Serena replied, head on his chest. Wind swirled around the couple making the leaves spiraling to the ground and the grass stir like waves. 

" Doesn't matter. You can be my queen." He whispered, lips in her golden hair. 

Serena sat up in his lap. She stared him straight in the eye. Her scarlet lips opened and asked what her heart had hid. " Do you love me?" she inquired. 

" I do. And I would never betray you. Like he did." He replied, honesty shining in his eyes. Tears once again sparkled down her cheeks. 

" Then I will be your queen because I love you too." Serena smiled through her tears. Their lips made the final decision. It was like a quill pen signing their names on the line at the bottom of the contract. Like a diamond engraving their vows in stone. Like a promise inscribed in the stars. 

Light spun around Serena like dancing ribbons and consumed her. In a flash of light and a swirl of flower petals Serena stood before Sapphire. The Queen stood before her King. Her hair had come undone from her buns and cascaded down to the grass. She was clothed in a deep blue dress that fitted her like the sparkle in her eye. The gown fell from its tapered waist and the layers flowed to the ground like waves. As she ran towards Sapphire the gown's silver glitter twinkled as the moonlight hit it. Her long chain with a blue gem hanging from it swung left to right from her quick movements. Her circlet of magnificently twisted silver stood amongst her soft blonde hair. Lastly when Serena held her face up in the moonlight, as Sapphire rained kisses on her cheeks and lips, a black crescent moon frowned on her forehead. 

~ A Few Weeks Later ~ 

" You mean she never came home?" Mina questioned Luna as the scouts, Darien, and Rini sat at the steps of Raye's shrine. 

" No. She hasn't been home for weeks. Her parents don't seem to notice, in fact they don't even remember having her as a daughter! Her mother shooed me away when I came into Serena's room, that wasn't even her room! It was empty of all her things and became a study. When I was running out I looked at the family picture on top of the mantle of the fireplace and Serena was missing from it! It was like she didn't even exist to the family!" Luna cried in despair. 

" Where did you stay?" Amy asked quietly. 

" With Lita. I ran to her place when Serena's mother didn't recognize me." Luna bowed her head. Artemis jumped from Mina's lap to comfort the black cat. 

" Makes sense. If Serena never existed, then either did you Luna." Amy thought out loud as she tapped her nose with her pen. She rested her elbows onto the stack of books on her lap as she cradled her head on her hands. 

" Where can she be?" Lita asked to no one in particular. 

" I have to go. I have exams tomorrow." Darien said quickly as he walked down the white steps to his car. He left Rini sitting there contemplating on going with him or staying. As she rose to follow him, Mina stopped her. 

" Don't you even miss Serena? Do you stay with Darien?" Mina inquired. 

" I don't miss Serena!" Rini cried triumphantly. " With out her I have Darien all to myself. Darien never loved her anyways! He loves me and only me!" 

" How can you say that? Without Serena you shouldn't even be alive!" Amy cried tears forming in her eyes as she listened to the little girl's selfish antics. 

" Who cares about her? She's such a klutz and a crybaby. I always wondered how Darien could ever love her. I'm more mature than she is." Rini said with all the dignity a little girl could muster. 

" You selfish brat! Serena loved you and Darien loved her! Never ever insult Serena in front of me. She was the best friend anyone of us could have." Lita threaten. 

" But I did insult her in front of you. That night when you all made her turn in her brooch, you all insulted her. You kicked her out of the group. Remember? You said she was an awful leader and Raye took her brooch and became Sailor Moon. Even Darien said bad things about her!" Rini countered in glee. 

Lita's eyes filled with tears as she remembered her own selfishness that night. The night that changed all their lives. The night that they made the biggest mistake. The night they couldn't relive and change. " Oh, how could we have done that to you Serena?" Lita moaned, head in her hands. 

" Well you did and a good thing to. Raye is a better leader. Anyways, I have to find Darien." Rini smiled, skipping off. 

" How could we?" Raye whispered as a tear slipped from her eye and fell onto the pink brooch in her hand. 

" How could I have betrayed you?" Darien thought as he stood on the tallest branch of the tree towering Raye's temple. 

" Attack in the south side of the park!" Mina cried through the communicator the scouts. 

Soon all the scouts were there, including Tuxedo Mask. Now his task was to protect Rini. Raye had decided to turn down the leader position and stay Sailor Mars. Mina had taken the job as the leader of the scouts. It was what the future Sailor Venus was anyway, as Artemis told them. The gooey green monster was soon killed and the scouts had stood tiredly there. They had to do extra work to finish it off because Sailor Moon was there to end it. 

" I think…that I should be Sailor Moon." Rini announced at the end of the battle. 

" What?"Raye thundered. 

" I would be a better leader than that Meatball Head." Rini persisted. 

" Oh, you think so little girl?" a voice drawled above all of their heads. 

" Serena!" Raye gasped, staring at the girl with long blonde hair, floating above them. She was decorated in a long indigo gown, a silver chain with a blue gem, and a circlet of silver. One her milky white forehead adorned a black crescent moon. The sign of evil. 

" So how is a life mortal?" Serena yawned. 

" Great! A lot better now that you're out of it! In fact, I'm going to be Sailor Moon!" Rini smirked, once she got over the shock of Serena's evil appearance. 

Serena's eyes darkened to a black with tinges of navy. " Need I remind you, that in life there is always death." Her gaze rested on Amy. " There is darkness in light." She moved her eyes onto Mina. " There is pain in joy." Finally her blue eyes meet Dariens. " And there are thorns on the rose." 

" Sere honey?" a male voice questioned as he came in sight, floating next to Serena. 

" Sapphire." Serena's eyes lit up. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. 

There were gasps throughout the group and eyes on Darien. 

" Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Rini asked. 

" Diamond gave me his life gem right before he took his life for Serena. It enabled me to nourish me alive." Sapphire replied coldly. He smiled. " Have you meet my queen?" he gestured to Serena. 

" Queen?" Mina echoed. 

" Queen of the Dark Moon." Sapphire whispered, eyes dark. 


	2. Part Two

Ghost of Us 

Part 2

Sometimes hope seems trivial. Sometimes revenge is the key. Sometimes sometimes comes too often.

" Queen of the Dark Moon," Serena mused. " Has a nice to ring to it, doesn't it mortals?" 

" Serena…" Darien whispered, eyes faint beneath his white mask.

" Grovel Darien. Plead. Beg," Serena whispered, a faint chuckle on her lips.  

Sapphire put an arm around his cold wife. Cold, not only from the havoc of the wind, but also from the frost that seemed to embrace her very heart. 

Darien just stood there, aghast showing from every part of his body. Rini crept over to him and reached for his hand. Grasping on to it, she was appalled when the hand just slipped away from hers. Rini looked up confused. His azure eyes refused to even glance at her; they were focused on the couple floating in above and front of him. With a swirl of red and black cape, he jumped and was gone. 

Serena did not even flinch. 

The scouts were so shocked; they barely noticed Rini trying to move stealthily away. 

" Serena, how could you do that to Darien? To us?" Mina burst out, cheeks glittering with tears. 

" Queen of the Dark Moon is my name. Serena is only permitted for the ones…for the one, the only one who would always be there for me," Serena corrected herself. 

" That's not true! We were there for you and we will always be!" Lita cried, her sparkling green eyes losing their glow. 

" Oh, that's right," Serena pursed her lips in mock thought. " You were there when Raye and the rest of the bastards took away my brooch. And you didn't say a thing. Oh wait you did. You were one of the bastards that _told me to give my brooch up_!" Serena shot back vehemently. All of the sudden she sagged and nearly fell to the ground. 

Sapphire rushed down and pulled her into his arms. Cradling her, his eyes were worried. 

" Oh Sapphire," she whispered painfully. " My...my...head," she groaned, clutching at her frowning crescent moon. 

" I don't think you're quit up to this yet, my heart," he murmured. He lifted his head, and his cerulean eyes pierced at the anxious scouts below. " We're not finished here. We'll be back." 

" How could I have let this happen?" Luna sighed, as she paced the steps of Raye's Temple. 

" It's my fault," Raye replied, eyes down. " I drove her away. I was just…just so _jealous_. She got Darien, she was the leader, she…no, I still don't think she deserves her position though! She's a klutz, and she'll never change," Raye whispered through tears, and sobbed into Mina's shoulder, when Mina sat down and put and arm around her. 

Mina stared straight, eyes impassive. She didn't seem to feel the tremors through her body from Raye's heavy sobs. Her gaze landed at a pink haired girl chanting somewhat far from her. 

" Abracadabra! And that's what makes things fun," Rini sang, bouncing Luna-P. And *******poof ***** **a miniature Sailor Moon plush toy came about.

" Rini, you miss her don't you?" Mina asked softly, but loud enough for the little girl to hear. 

" Miss her?" Rini echoed. " Are you for real? The crybaby? The only person I miss is Darien." And with her chin high, she stalked off in search of him. 

A lone figure stood stock still, staring at the crashing waves. The full moon above had shown a halo on his silky black hair. His cape spun around him…black, red, black, and red. His eyes were comprehensible as the shadowy sky, not obscured by his mask. His head turned to the side, when he heard a faint click on the stone walk. 

She walked towards him, determined as the rhythmic tapping of her shoes. Her eyes held pain, but flamed as her dark moon sign did. The blue gem swung like a pendulum from their long, woven silver chain.  Her golden waves of hair seemed to float like clouds over the dirt and grim of the stone walk. She stopped when she was a foot away from her. " Why?" she whispered, asking it as if it was the hardest question on earth. 

" Because it was the truth," he answered, eyes still on the foamy, mystical ocean. 

" No, why did you run away? It was twice that I've seen your back. It probably happened before, but I was too blind to see," she said, her gem swinging like crazy from the harsh wind. 

" You probably couldn't spend a day just being responsible could you? You are blind! Too blind to see how ignorant you are, to see the evils of the world. Serena, you can't live your life hiding behind the rest of us!" Darien exploded. His calm composure still remained, although his eyes shone puddles of vast emotions. 

" I'll tell you this-" Serena began, anger rimming from every inch of her body. " Oh!" she stopped, as she clutched at her forehead once again. 

" Serena…?" Darien turned his full body towards her. His sudden outburst of emotion faded away as he stepped hesitantly towards the aggrieved girl. 

" Just, just stay awa-" Serena whispered, breathing labored with pain. She attempted to walk away with her dignity still attached, but with the gust of wind and another stab of pain she stumbled backwards. 

" Serena!" Darien cried out, as she fell like a golden leaf falling from the tree. He flung himself onto the stone walk, and dropped his hands down to grab Serena. 

There she was, floating down in a swirl of gold dust, silver shimmer, and cobalt silk. " I will get my revenge," she thought as she continued spiraling down, not resisting the ocean but the continuing pierces of pain on her temple. Suddenly, she felt warmth in her blue gem. 

Darien continued leaning over the stone walk, desperately staring at the ocean, hoping she would come back up. As if an answer to his pleas, a blue ray shot from the waters. 

Hovering back up, Serena gasped, breathing for air. Her hair felt like a thousands pounds, but she still held her head up high. Still suspended in air, she stared straight at the cold man. In his heart he was relieved and overjoyed, but his veneer showed nothing but aloofness. " You will see. I will get my revenge. I will spend a day with my eyes unlocked," she said calmly before flashing away. 

" Sapphire?" Serena stood before him. 

" Your wet and cold," he stated with worry as he got up from his throne. " I thought you were in bed." 

She shook her head, and knelt down. Her dripping gown clung to her trembling body as she genuflected. " I ask for permission to return as my mortal self, to show everyone that I can walk with my head up and eyes open to all," Serena requested, eyes filled with revenge. 

" Granted," Sapphire breathed, knowing full well her abilities. " Granted, my Queen of the Dark Moon," he added walking over to her and embracing her, drenched clothing and all. 


	3. Part Three

The Ghost of Us

Part 3

Sometimes mortality is overrated. Sometimes the door of life opens twice. Sometimes sometimes comes too often. 

The Queen of the Dark Moon materialized in the middle of the park, in a cluster of bushes where nobody could see her. Stepping out, she looked around her. Other than the usual joggers and people walking their dogs, there was nobody relevant to her mission. She glanced down at what she was wearing. The ensemble consisted of a regular school uniform for Crossroads High, adorned with an upside down black moon pendant strung on a simple silver chain that emanated dark energy. She rested her hand on it momentarily before picking up her school bag and walking to school.

Amy and Lita had just put their books down in homeroom when the principal appeared in the door. "Miss Haruna, could you come here please? We have a new student."

Miss Haruna beamed at the chance of a new young mind to teach as she ushered the new girl into the room. "Class, this is Serena Sapphire. She's new to this school and I want to all make her feel welcome here." As Miss Haruna was making her customary new student speech, Ami and Lita were busily whispering to each other.

"Amy, you think that's _her_?"

"It could be. She can disguise her identity from us. Or it could be, she's changed so much we couldn't recognize her even if I used my computer. But, you know, it probably is her. She _would_ be bold enough to use her real name in front of us." Just then, Serena and Amy made eye contact. Amy shivered. Serena's eyes had changed from an innocent blue to an icy smoke gray. Her hair had been taken down from its meatballs and clipped to about a few inches below shoulder length. Her natural expression had turned from a happy smile to a sullen smirk. But, no doubt about it, it was Serena. But she had changed. She had changed so very much.

Serena and Amy had every class together. They had five classes with Lita and three classes with Raye and Mina. All the scouts and the teachers were amazed at how Serena knew all the answers to everything. She was also in Trig with Ami, two levels above grade standard. She had quickly formed a crowd that surrounded her at all times, so she couldn't be approached in school, and at lunch, she disappeared, leaving the scouts unable to confront her. An emergency scout meeting was called at the shrine after school.

"Ok people, listen up! We've got an emergency and you all know it. Now, what are we going to do about it? Amy? Any info?" Mina questioned. Now that she was scout leader, she directed all the meetings.

"I've found out that Serena is using some sort of spell to make sure nobody recognizes her, but I think she's let it slip for us. For some reason, she wants us to know that it's her. And she's taken her hair out of her buns." 

"So what's the big deal with that?" 

"That signifies she's disclaiming her right to the throne. She's taken her royal hairstyle out, therefore, she's renouncing her title."

"Goody!" Rini squealed, "Now I get to be queen!"

"Not quite, you little brat." The scouts, Rini, and Darien looked up. Perched on the roof of the temple was Serena, the Queen of the Dark Moon. She wore a dark, sparkly, clingy dress, and her hair was pulled back and flowed down to her ankles. Her eyes had changed back to blue once more, but they were still as icy as when they were gray. The Dark Moon sign glowed on her forehead and she wore her chain with the blue gem. She stood up gracefully, and then jumped down to the ground, light as a feather. _Where did that clumsy Serena go? _Everyone else wondered. 

The new Serena walked over to the group slowly. She radiated evil power. With each intimidating step, the scouts grew afraid. When she was about ten feet away, she stopped. Smiling a fake, sugary, smile, she looked at the group. "_Hello_ girls, Darien. Nice day we're having, isn't it? Lovely weather." At that very moment, dark clouds were gathering extremely fast up in the north. 

The scouts exchanged wary looks at each other. They didn't know what to make of this act.

"Hello, Rini! Oh, I see you're looking at my hair clips. Do you like them? They're sapphires, see? A gift from my _one true love_." She glanced at Darien as she said this. His face showed no emotion. "Do you want to see another gift I received?" Serena turned and made a wide circle in the air with her hand. It began to expand quickly, and a hand reached out of it, clawing the air. Then the arm attached to the hand followed, and another arm, a leg, another one, and the being fully emerged. It was a youma.

"My love let me design my own set of youmas. They're more powerful, stronger, and more stylish than the previous ones. They're more enduring too, so they can go through a hard battle for hours. Plus, they know all your strengths and weaknesses, so you'll have a tough time defeating them. This is one of the weaker ones. Her name is Saharan, Demon of the Storm. Your little lightning attacks can't harm her, Jupiter, and your fire can't either, Mars. Love chains won't hurt her, Mina, and Ami, if you're so smart, you'll know that water only conducts electricity. Now, I'd love to see Saharan kick your puny Sailor Scout mini skirt wearing butts, however sadly I've got pressing queen matters to deal with. Goodbye." And with that, she vanished.

A/N: Lady Star, co-author of Ghost of Us, wrote chapter 3. All comments, reviews, questions pertaining this chapter should be directed to her. Her email is- Lady_star23@hotmail.com. Jo will write chapter 4 shortly. ^^ Please review, and if you would like to join the mailing list, leave a note in your review. Thanks!


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